This is a demonstration about the density of the planets. Learners will compare the relative sizes and masses of scale models of the planets as represented by fruits and other foods. They will then dunk the "planets" in water to highlight the fact...(View More) that even a large, massive planet - such as Saturn - can have low density. They discuss how a planet's density is related to whether it is mainly made up of rock or gas. This activity is part of Explore! Jupiter's Family Secrets, a series designed to engage children in space and planetary science in libraries and informal learning environments.(View Less)

This lesson plan will provide a concrete way for students to understand the concept of distance in space equals distance in time. This is done using information gathered from a timeline activity in Lesson 1: Earth, the Universe, and Culture....(View More) Students experiment with how distances are measured in space and create timelines to demonstrate the concept distance in space equals distance in time. This lesson is part of the "Swift: Eyes Through Time" collection that is available on the Teacher's Domain website.(View Less)

In this activity, students describe the characteristics of different types of galaxies (spiral, elliptical, barred spiral, peculiar, or irregular) in their own words. They also classify galaxies seen in the Hubble Deep Field. This is activity two in...(View More) in the "Hidden Lives of Galaxies" information and activity booklet that was designed for use with "The Hidden Lives of Galaxies" poster. The booklet includes student worksheets and background information for the teacher.(View Less)

In this activity, students explore the idea of classifying objects. They start by giving examples of objects that can be classified in everyday life and in science. They then characterize and classify a set of galaxies using their own scheme, and...(View More) using Hubble's classification scheme. This is activity three in the "Hidden Lives of Galaxies" information and activity booklet that was designed for use with "The Hidden Lives of Galaxies" poster. The booklet includes student worksheets and background information for the teacher.(View Less)

In this activity, students match unusual galaxies with their distinctive names and justify their reasoning. Students discover that often, galaxies acquire their names based upon how they appear to observers. This is activity four in the "Hidden...(View More) Lives of Galaxies" information and activity booklet that was designed for use with "The Hidden Lives of Galaxies" poster. The booklet includes student worksheets and background information for the teacher.(View Less)

In this activity, students will describe similarities and differences between galactic star clusters and globular clusters. This is activity five in the "Hidden Lives of Galaxies" information and activity booklet that was designed for use with "The...(View More) Hidden Lives of Galaxies" poster. The booklet includes student worksheets and background information for the teacher.(View Less)

The is one several activities in which students are required to access and analyze actual data from NASA missions, including video interviews with real NASA scientists, to solve a mystery. In this mystery, students explore stars and their...(View More) properties, investigate the different characteristics of stars, and look for trends and patterns to determine what kinds of stars different companies are buying, and why. During the activity, students analyze a list of stars purchased by each company using tools showing a star's luminosity in infrared, x-ray, and visible ranges of light, and tools that plot the stars in different ways. Star Market can be used as a supplemental learning tool to support the scientific method, understanding the life cycle of stars, and learning about the different reasons scientists study stars. It is one several activities within "Space Mysteries," a series of inquiry-driven, interactive Web explorations. Each Mystery in "Space Mysteries" is designed to teach at least one physical science concept (e.g. interactions of energy and matter, structures and properties of matter, energy, motion, or forces), and is accompanied by materials to be used by classroom teachers.(View Less)

This is an activity about the shape of the Earth’s orbit. Learners will first use elements of the orbit of Earth and Pluto and an apparatus using string, a pencil, and pushpins to accurately draw an ellipse, showing the nearly circular shape of...(View More) the orbits of Earth and Pluto. They then measure real images of the Sun in each season, determining the apparent size of the Sun to see if it changes throughout the year. By determining the apparent size of each Sun image and by seeing the shape of Earth's orbit, learners will confront the misconception that seasons are caused by changing distance of the Earth from the Sun. Finally, learners reflect on the results of the Sun-Earth Survey, which is Activity 2 in this set. This is Activity 4 in the Great Explorations in Math and Science (GEMS) guide titled Real Reasons for Seasons: Sun-Earth Connections. The resource guide is available for purchase from the Lawrence Hall of Science. This activity recommends use of an overhead projector.(View Less)